Electric Teamwork
by Martial Arts Master
Summary: Ash has a double battle with a farmer whose Pikachu and Mareep work very well together...but that's because they're in love. Please review!


Electric Teamwork  
by Martial Arts Master  
Pokemon and all related characters are copyrighted by Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures Inc., Satoshi Tajiri, TV Tokyo, 4Kids, and Wizards of the Coast. I made up Dustin, though. This story takes place after the "Wired For Battle" episode that aired today. Also, the reason I never reveal the genders of Dustin's Pikachu and Mareep is that I don't want to inadvertantly gender-stereotype. The story shall begin now.  
  
***  
  
It was sunset, and Ash and his friends were back in the forest, travelling towards Azalea Town.  
"How much farther to Azalea Town?" Ash asked.  
Brock, who was looking at the map, said, "Pretty far, actually."  
"Aw, man," Misty complained. "My feet are killing me."  
"We'll just have to keep going, unless you want to camp out again," Brock said.  
"Hey, look," Ash said, pointing.  
There was a clearing, and it had a house in it.  
"Oh good!" Misty said, relieved. "We can ask the owner of the house if we can stay for the night."  
"Okay, let's go!" Ash said, and they all (including Pikachu) ran towards the clearing and the house.  
  
When they got to the house, Ash knocked on the door.  
"Who is it?" came a voice.  
"Please, sir," Misty said. "We're just three travellers and a Pikachu who are just looking for a place to stay the night.  
The door opened a crack, and our heroes could see some eyes looking at them. Finally the door opened.  
"Well, you certainly look harmless enough," the man who was there said. He was dressed in a green shirt, a straw hat, and denim blue overalls that hid his pants.  
"Of course you can stay the night," he continued. "Under ONE condition."  
"What's that?" Ash asked.  
"I'll tell you in the morning," the farmer said. "My name's Dustin. Come on in!"  
With that he led them into the house.  
That night, our heroes slept peacefully.  
  
The next morning, our heroes woke up and went downstairs from the bedroom to Dustin.  
"So what was that 'condition' you were talking about last night?" Brock asked.  
"My two Pokemon need experience, so I'd like to have a double battle with one of you," Dustin replied.  
Ash remembered what a double battle was from his battle with the Orange League Kumquat Gym Leader named Luanna. Ash grimaced as he remembered how badly Charizard had been beaten up at first, but he grinned as he remembered his sheer BRILLIANCE of having Charizard fly upwards at just the right moment to allow Marowak's bone to hit Alakazam JUST as it released its Hyper Beam, causing it to knock out both itself and Marowak.  
"Ok, you can battle with me!" Ash said immediately.  
"That's great!" Dustin said. "We can battle outside in the clearing.  
  
Everyone went outside and into the clearing.  
"Now let me just summon my two Pokemon," Dustin said. From his pocket, he drew out a whistle. He blew on the whistle, and immediately a Pikachu and a Mareep bounded out of the house.  
"Now, choose your two Pokemon and you can battle these two," Dustin said.  
"I hope Ash is as lucky in this match as he was against Luanna," Misty whispered to Brock.  
"I dunno," Brock said. "This could go either way."  
"Pikachu, you should be perfect for an electric battle," Ash said to his Pikachu. Ash's Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder and faced Dustin's Pikachu and Mareep.  
"And now, for my second Pokemon, I choose Heracross!" Ash said, sending out Heracross.  
Suddenly Ash noticed something. Dustin's Pikachu and Mareep were standing really close together, and they kept glancing at each other with a smile. Ash had no time to think about that, because Brock spoke up.  
"Ok, how about you start the match now?" Brock asked rhetorically.  
"Heracross, Tackle attack!" Ash said.  
Heracross ran towards Dustin's Pikachu and Mareep.  
"Mareep, Cotton Spore!" Dustin said.  
Mareep released some cotton spores from its wool.  
"Jump, Heracross!" Ash said.  
"Pikachu, you jump too!" Dustin commanded.  
Heracross leaped into the air and dodged the Cotton Spore, but Dustin's Pikachu leaped up into the air, too, and slammed Heracross on top of the Cotton Spore. Dustin's Pikachu leaped away before it could get caught in the Cotton Spore itself. Now Heracross was stuck in the Cotton Spore, its speed greatly reduced.  
"Oh no!" Ash said.  
"I haven't had a double battle with anybody whose Pokemon worked together better than my Pikachu and Mareep," Dustin said.  
"We'll see about that! Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash said.  
"Pikachu, Mareep, Light Screen!" Dustin said.  
Ash's Pikachu let loose a Thundershock at Dustin's Pikachu and Mareep, but both of the other Pokemon used their Light Screens at the same time, and they both easily defended against the Thundershock.  
"That didn't work," Ash said. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"  
"Mareep, Tackle! Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Dustin said.  
Ash's Pikachu ran at Mareep very quickly, and Mareep ran at Ash's Pikachu. Suddenly Dustin's Pikachu leaped behind Ash's Pikachu and did a Quick Attack. Ash's Pikachu got hit by both Dustin's Pikachu and Mareep's attacks at the same time, and fell to the ground.  
"Uh-oh," Ash said. "Heracross, try to get up!"  
Heracross used all of its might, and finally managed to throw off the Cotton Spore that had covered it earlier.  
"Great! Now use your horn and give Dustin's Pikachu a toss!" Ash said.  
Heracross thrust its horn under Pikachu's belly and tossed it into the air.  
"Yes!" Ash said triumphantly.  
But Mareep got under Dustin's Pikachu and used its own fleece to act as a pillow, so Pikachu didn't get damaged from the toss.  
"All right! Pikachu, Mareep, Thunderbolt!" Dustin commanded.  
Dustin's Pikachu and Mareep combined both of their Thunderbolt attacks into a single huge Thunderbolt, which slammed into Heracross. Heracross was slammed to the ground, unconscious.  
Ash gasped.  
Dustin laughed triumphantly.  
"Now there's only his Pikachu left!" Dustin said.  
"Pikachu, let's confuse them with your Agility!" Ash said.  
Pikachu sped up and repeatedly ran circles around Dustin's Pikachu and Mareep.  
"Pikachu, Swift attack!" Dustin said.  
Dustin's Pikachu shot a bunch of stars out of its mouth, and they knocked Ash's Pikachu high into the air.  
"Now, Mareep, Tackle attack!" Dustin said.  
Mareep leaped up into the air and tackled Ash's Pikachu to the ground. Ash's Pikachu couldn't get up after that.  
"NO!" Ash said, but it was clear who the winner was.  
"Looks like I win the match," Dustin said.  
Ash ran to Pikachu and Heracross's side.  
"Are you two ok?" Ash asked worriedly.  
Ash's Pikachu and Heracross nodded weakly.  
Ash recalled Heracross and allowed his Pikachu to climb up on his shoulder.  
Dustin's Pikachu and Mareep cheered at their victory, and they ran to each other and began nuzzling each other as a sign of affection.  
"What are they doing?" Ash asked.  
"Oh, didn't you know?" Dustin asked rhetorically. "Pikachu and Mareep are mates."  
"No way!" Ash said, surprised.  
"Geez, Ash, it should have been obvious considering the way they kept shooting happy glances at each other before the match," Misty said. "And it's so CUTE!"  
Misty's face took on a dreamy look.  
"Does she always act like that?" Dustin asked, bemused.  
"No, she's a romantic," Ash said. "But don't insult that or she'll think you're not grown up. I learned that the hard way."  
Dustin laughed. Meanwhile, Mareep was playfully wrestling with Dustin's Pikachu, and Mareep finally managed to pin Dustin's Pikachu to the ground. Dustin's Pikachu didn't seem to mind all that much.  
"Aww, how SWEET!" Misty said dreamily.  
"You see, I used to be just a regular farmer," Dustin explained. "But then I got a Pikachu for my birthday last year, and then I got Mareep for Christmas THIS year. The two instantly fell in love, and since then, they've never been apart."  
"Love at first sight, that's so romantic!" Misty said.  
"Uh, Misty, that's enough gushing," Brock said. "We better be on our way."  
"Where are you headed?" Dustin asked.  
"We're going to Azalea Town so I can battle for my second badge," Ash said.  
"Oh, then you must have gotten the Zephyr Badge from Violet City," Dustin reasoned.  
"You got it!" Ash said, proudly showing his Zephyr Badge.  
Suddenly Mareep whispered something to Dustin's Pikachu, laughed and ran off.  
"Where's it going?" Brock asked.  
"Probably to get a flower for Pikachu," Dustin said.  
"Well, while we're waiting for Mareep to come back, how about we let both our Pikachus back into the house so they can converse?" Ash asked.  
"Ok, then we'll stay out here and talk," Dustin said.  
Both Pikachus went into the house.  
  
"So what's your life been like?" Dustin's Pikachu asked Ash's Pikachu in Pokemon language after they both got inside the house.  
"It's been great!" Ash's Pikachu replied in Pokemon language. "I've been travelling with Ash and I've seen quite a bit! You should've seen the gigantic Tentacruel I saw in Porta Vista."  
"Gigantic, huh?" Dustin's Pikachu said. "I almost wish I could've been there. Been in any battles?"  
"Yeah," Ash's Pikachu said. "I've been in lots of battles, most of which I won. Like there was this one Arcanine who was giving me trouble, but I beat it by diving into the water under the ice. And once I battled a Cloyster trained by Prima herself, but I got my butt kicked."  
With that last sentence Pikachu chuckled ruefully.  
"Sounds like you've had an interesting life," Dustin's Pikachu said. "But I'm pretty happy here."  
"Oh really, lover boy?" Ash's Pikachu teased.  
"Of course!" Dustin's Pikachu said, sighing dreamily. "Mareep is like the epitome of perfection to me. Whenever I'm around Mareep, I feel like I'm lucky enough to win the lottery. It's like we were meant to be."  
"That's why you work so well together, and why you beat me so easily!" Ash's Pikachu realized.  
"Gee, ya THINK?" Dustin's Pikachu replied.  
Suddenly they heard Mareep scream in the distance, and they both bounded out of the house.  
  
Outside, our heroes and Dustin also heard the scream.  
"That sounded like Mareep!" Dustin and Brock said in unison.  
"Let's go where Mareep was headed!" Ash said.  
"Right!" Misty agreed.  
Everyone, including the two Pikachus, headed off in the direction of the clearing where Mareep was last headed.  
They'd gone quite a ways, but the good news was, they found Mareep eventually. The bad news was, they ALSO found Jessie, James, and Meowth, and Jessie's Arbok had Mareep in a death grip, being wrapped around it.  
"Oh drat, we've been discovered!" James said.  
"Rats! We were just about to steal Mareep when you twerps barged here!" Jessie said.  
"Well we're willing to make you a deal," Meowth said. "Arbok won't squeeze Mareep to death and we'll let it go if the farmer's Pikachu and the twerp's Pikachu gives themselves up."  
"Not a chance!" Ash said.  
Ash's Pikachu said something whose tone implied agreement.  
"We may not have a choice," Dustin said. "Neither me nor my Pikachu can afford to lose Mareep."  
"We're not really going to kill Mareep, are we Jessie?" James whispered to Jessie.  
"No, dimwit," Jessie whispered back. "That would make us murderers. We're just bluffing."  
Unfortunately, our heroes didn't hear Team Rocket whispering to each other.  
"I don't know what to do," Dustin said.  
But Dustin's Pikachu did. It saw the look of terror in Mareep's face and immediately walked over to Team Rocket. Then it said something to them.  
"Meowth, what did it say?" James asked.  
"It said that it would do absolutely anything to ensure Mareep was safe and happy," Meowth said.  
"That's so beautiful and inspiring," James said, sniffing.  
"Shut up!" Jessie said. "The farmer's Pikachu may have given itself up, but the twerp's Pikachu didn't. So we'll only do HALF of the deal. We won't kill Mareep, but we're not letting it go." "Of course, if you're willing try to save Mareep without hurting hurt, go ahead!" Meowth said, and Team Rocket laughed, not believing that it was possible for Dustin's Pikachu to shock Arbok without hurting Mareep.  
"You guys are cruel!" Misty said.  
"That's right!" Brock said.  
Mareep called out something to Dustin's Pikachu.  
"What did it say, Meowth?" Jessie asked.  
"Mareep told the farmer's Pikachu not to worry about it and that the farmer's Pikachu should get far away from here."  
"If it does that, we'll be left with only one Pokemon!" Jessie said.  
"But we were originally going to steal just Mareep anyway!" James said.  
"Who cares? Arbok, squeeze Mareep a little tighter to show we mean business," Jessie said.  
Arbok complied, squeezing Mareep even tighter than before.  
Mareep was making a sound of great pain, which obviously was because it was so uncomfortable being squeezed nearly to death.  
"STOP IT!" Ash said.  
Ash was about to send out one of his Pokemon, but Dustin's Pikachu got a look of determination on its face, having seemed to have remembered something. Dustin's Pikachu summoned up all its energy into one gigantic Thunder move, shocking Arbok and making it let go of Mareep. The electricity that did hit Mareep was absorbed by Mareep's fleece, making its fleece grow bigger.  
"Grrr, you'll pay for that, you pest!" Jessie said.  
"Not anytime soon," Dustin said, as Mareep returned to Dustin's side. Dustin's Pikachu was going to do so as well, but Jessie suddenly recalled Arbok and sent out Lickitung.  
"Lickitung, Lick attack!" Jessie said. (Author's Note: Lickitung can indeed learn Lick, but only in Pokemon Gold/Silver.)  
Lickitung's tongue shot out and licked Dustin's Pikachu, paralyzing it.  
"Hey, that's not fair!" Dustin said.  
"Oh, but it WAS humiliating," Jessie said. Lickitung, meanwhile slammed its tongue into Dustin's Pikachu repeatedly, beating it up pretty badly.  
Mareep gasped and ran towards Dustin's Pikachu and Lickitung.  
"What's it doing? Mareep can't help in its weakened condition!" Brock said.  
"Then I'll use Bulbasaur to help it out!" Ash said, getting Bulbasaur's Poke Ball ready.  
"Wait a minute, you can't do that!" Misty said. "This is a test of true love! You have to let Mareep do this on its own."  
Ash was beginning to think that Misty was taking her "I'm a romantic" routine a little too far, but he knew that if he tried to send out a Pokemon anyway, Misty would probably smack him on the head with her mallet. So he reluctantly put Bulbasaur's Poke Ball back.  
Brock, for the same reason, didn't send out a Pokemon.  
Meanwhile, Lickitung was beating up the paralyzed and therefore helpless Pikachu with repeated Slam attacks with its tongue. Pikachu finally didn't get back up after a hit, but it wasn't unconscious. Lickitung was prepared to deliver the final blow to finish it off.  
Suddenly Mareep leaped into the path of the tongue and used Cotton Spore, and the spores clung to Lickitung's tongue, insulating it and making any impact it made on anything too soft to do any damage.  
"How dare you!" Jessie said, recalling Lickitung.  
"My turn!" James said, about to send out a Pokemon.  
Mareep suddenly let loose a Thunder attack, making Team Rocket "blast off again."  
"Good work, Mareep!" Dustin said.  
"Looks like they've each saved each others' lives today," Misty said.  
Mareep ran to Pikachu to check to see if it was okay. Pikachu nodded and said something to Mareep in a grateful tone.  
Then they did something that shocked everyone else. They kissed each other, and they held the kiss.  
Our heroes and Dustin had the sense not to say anything until the kiss was over.  
  
Later, our heroes, Dustin, his Pikachu, and his Mareep were back at the house.  
"Well this has been quite an interesting day," Dustin said, chuckling.  
"I hope your Pikachu and your Mareep live happily ever after," Misty said.  
"I hope you manage to raise them well to the end of your days," Brock said.  
"And I hope those two will work together just as well in battle as ever," Ash said.  
"They will, I'm sure," Dustin said.  
Mareep then said something to Pikachu, giggled mischievously, and they both went into the house.  
"What did Mareep say?" Brock asked.  
Dustin had a flabbergasted look on its face.  
"Trust me, you DON'T wanna know," Dustin said...  
  
The End  
  
***  
  
E-mail all questions and comments to bleifer@msn.com. 


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